Alb
See also: alb, ALB, alb., and Alb.
German
Alternative forms
- Alp
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /alp/
Etymology 1
From Middle High German alb, alp, from Old High German alp, from Proto-West Germanic *albi, from Proto-Germanic *albiz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *albʰós. Doublet of Elf, borrowed from English later.
Noun
Alb m (mixed, genitive Albs or Albes, plural Alben)
- (Germanic mythology) elf, especially an evil one
- Synonyms: Elf, Elb, Elbe
Declension
Declension of Alb [masculine, mixed]
singular | plural | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
nominative | ein | der | Alb | die | Alben |
genitive | eines | des | Albs, Albes | der | Alben |
dative | einem | dem | Alb, Albe1 | den | Alben |
accusative | einen | den | Alb | die | Alben |
1Now uncommon, see notes.
Noun
Alb m (strong, genitive Albs or Albes, plural Albe)
- (Germanic folklore) creature that sits on one's chest while one sleeps
- nightmare (formerly believed to be caused by such a creature)
- (figurative, higher register) mental oppression, anxiety
Usage notes
- The spelling Alb has been the prescribed spelling since the German spelling reform of 1996 (the Rechtschreibreform).
- The spelling Alb has been an optional spelling since the German spelling reform of 1996 (the Rechtschreibreform) as of 2006.
Declension
Declension of Alb [masculine, strong]
singular | plural | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
indef. | def. | noun | def. | noun | |
nominative | ein | der | Alb | die | Albe |
genitive | eines | des | Albs, Albes | der | Albe |
dative | einem | dem | Alb, Albe1 | den | Alben |
accusative | einen | den | Alb | die | Albe |
1Now uncommon, see notes.
Derived terms
- Albdruck
- Alberich
- Albtraum
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Alemannic German Alp, from Middle High German albe, from Old High German alba.
Noun
Alb f (genitive Alb, plural Alben)
- (dialectal) mountainous area, upland
- Schwäbische Alb ― Swabian Jura
References
- Thyen, Olaf (and Michael Clark, Werner Scholze-Stubenrecht, Bradbury Sykes (1999) The Oxford-Duden German Dictionary: German-English, English-German, Oxford University Press, →ISBN: “Alb2 .. (veralt.: Kobold) goblin believed to give sleeping people nightmares..”
- Thode, Ernest (1992) German-English Genealogical Dictionary, Genealogical Publishing Com, →ISBN: “Alb - mountain; hill; ridge; escarpment; upland area..”
- Betterridge, Harold T. (1978) Cassell's German-English English-German Dictionary, Macmillan, →ISBN: “1Alb 1. elf, .. 2. nighmare. 2Alb (dial.) alp(s)..”
Further reading
- “Alb” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “Alb (Gebirge)” in Duden online
- “Alb (Last, Bedrückung, Wesen)” in Duden online
- “Alb (Naturgeist)” in Duden online
Romanian
Etymology
From alb.
Proper noun
Alb m (genitive/dative lui Alb)
- a surname